On April 12, Microsoft introduced the Kin platform, which they claimed would "usher in the next generation of the social phone," starting with the Kin One and Kin Two for Verizon Wireless. Well, just a couple of months later, the next generation has apparently already been ushered right out.

Reactions to the Kin were lukewarm at best. Brighthand referred to it as "an operating system that doesn't try to do much, and still under-delivers," and some estimates placed the first month's sales of the devices at 10,000 units or lower.

In a new statement, Microsoft said "We have made the decision to focus exclusively on Windows Phone 7 and we will not ship KIN in Europe this fall as planned. Additionally, we are integrating our KIN team with the Windows Phone 7 team, incorporating valuable ideas and technologies from KIN into future Windows Phone releases," - in other words, they have essentially discontinued the Kin operating system.

Microsoft also said, "We will continue to work with Verizon in the U.S. to sell current KIN phones," although if they couldn't sell Kin when it was a current product, one wonders how exactly they intend to sell it now that it's defunct.